Run for Mum

In two weeks time I am running a 5k race with 14 of my friends to raise money for The Wegener’s Trust in memory of my wonderful Mum who died last August.

Please will you help us?

My Mum with baby Cakie in 2009

This is WHY

My Mum was the most wonderful person. She was kind, generous, loving and patient. An amazing doctor, loyal friend, wonderful wife and simply amazing mother. I have so much to learn from her and hope I can be as good, kind and understanding to my own children as she was to us.Last summer, she died. And we miss her more than words can say.

Mum had a horrible illness called Vasculitis which is a rare disease that manifests itself in different ways according to each sufferer. This makes it very difficult to treat and specialists are few and far between. She suffered terribly from this illness and the side effects its treatment for 30 years, with numerous hospital stays and gradual disablement and a life lived in constant pain. Yet hardly one complaint.

She was treated by a wonderful doctor called Dr D’Cruz who has a real understanding of Vasculitis and related diseases. Vasculitis receives little to no funding in the UK and instead has to borrow its treatments from cancer in the hope that they will work. Dr D’Cruz is currently doing direct research with a scientist in trying to find the cause of Wegener’s Granulomatosis which is one of the most common types of Vasculitis. His charityThe Wegener’s Trust operates out of Guy’s and St Thomas’s hospitals in London, UK.

If you have ever enjoyed just one idea on this blog please will you consider donating as a thank you?

By donating to this small, but specialised charity, you will be directly helping more research to be done into this disease and enabling specialists to make real advances in their areas of expertise.

A little adds up to a lot, and just a £5 or $5 could potentially change the lives of so many!Will you help us to reach our team target of £1000?Please click the secure link below.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. My Mum would be so proud and so humbly grateful. Wouldn’t it be just wonderful if together we could make a difference for those suffering with vasculitis both now and in the future?

Please watch this little You Tube Slideshow to see some more of my lovely Mum. You can see the sheer joy that her grandchildren brought her and the smile that pervaded all her suffering.

I will also donate an extra £1 to the charity for every comment on this post. Please tell me one thing that you have learned from your own Mum that you hope to put into practise with your children.

Comments

Thank you for your post. I appreciate how you honor the memory of your mom.

As for my mom, I didn’t have any idea how much I learned from her until I had my own children. Now, I think of her as my hero. She is legally blind, but she never, ever seems to feel sorry for herself. She is positive and encouraging, and her passion has always been being a mother (and now a grandmother).

One thing I learned (am learning) from my mom is how to empathize with children, how to really see things from their perspective and mirror that back to them. I see her do this with my 2 year old son, and I can see that it allows her to have a deep, trusting bond with him. It also helps him process his experiences. For example, if he asks for a cracker and they aren’t any, she might say with a lot of expression, “You want a cracker and they are gone! Oh, shoot!” He frequently repeats this phrase, “Oh, shoot!” when he is disappointed. I think it helps him not get stuck in the feeling or sink into a tantrum. My mom’s willingness to really BE WITH Teo when he is having a difficult emotion, rather than rushing him through it, is something I strive to do both as a parent and as a preschool teacher.

Anna, what a beautiful tribute to your mum. I also loved her very much, as she was my Godmother, but not just because she was my Godmother. She was also very kind to me and had such a beautiful way about her. She made everyone feel very special. I enjoyed my visits with her sooo much. My trips to your house were very special, and remember the wonderful time we had in Sonoma Valley? I am lucky to also have a wonderful mother. My mom has taught me so much, maybe especially to be humble and grateful. Anna, it is very clear that you are a wonderful mum to your own children and I really hope I get to visit you to see you in action and meet your girls and your husband. Love Kendra xoxox

just wanted to say that must have been one of the hardest few words to put together, may the Lord bless you and keep you and help you to continue being the super lovely mum you are obviously already being. i hope and pray much awareness and funding will come from this lots of love xx

What a lovely tribute!I lost my Mum before I was married. I think one thing I should try and put into action more is that she was wonderful at is being a great nurse when the children are poorly!Rachel Nortonx

Great Post. I know it was probably a difficult post to do. Your Mum seems like she was such a wonderful person! She had to be since you are such a Wonderful Mom! So sorry you had to lose her so soon.

My Mom taught me to always let your children be involved with the simplest tasks—cooking, gardening, cleaning, etc. She taught me to Love your children and to do it unconditionally. My Mom taught me so many things that I don’t even realize! By having a child, I definitely have realized that she was even more!

Hello, just watched the slideshow, lovely pictures – you look just like your mum in the picture of her with the birthday cake.

My little girl is only 6 months old and already I am realising just how much I have learnt from her over the years and just how much of a great mum she is. Reading your tribute to your mum really makes you value you what you have and I hope others reading will think the same.

Your post brought tears to my eyes, not only because I’m sad that you are now without your wonderful Mum but also because of the beautiful memories you obviously have. To have made such a happy childhood for you despite the hurdles she must have faced is inspiring. I also have an amazing Mum, I think I appreciate a little more about her the older and more challenging my own children get! Probably the most important thing she taught me by example was to not let the small things get in the way of the bigger picture. I feel like I really get to enjoy my children thanks to the way she raised us; gently, patiently and with respect, and I hope I can do the same for my girls. I haven’t really told her that before, but I will now, thankyou.Goodluck with your cause and thankyou too for sharing your Mums story with us x

My Mother has also had long term illness. I don’t know how she managed to keep going for so long, keeping house, listening, praying, cooking and just being there.I wish that I was even half as selfless as she is.

My mother always taught me to be NICE to people and TO WORK HARD. I truly believe that’s what got me here, in this wonderful situation, today! Thank goodness for mothers, and may their teachings always have a place in our hearts!

Anna, I am so moved and inspired by this lovely tribute. I live in India and I earn in rupees so I am making only a tiny contribution, but I am adding one extra pound to what I was going to give before I saw your little “bonus” for the comment bit. So you can save that one. There are going to be a LOT of comments here!

My mother died in 2008. She was a saint and if there were any justice at all she would be canonized. One of the many things she taught me through her words and her life was that “people are more important than things.”

BLessings to you and your family and congratulations for carrying on your mother’s legacy so brilliantly. How proud she must be of you!

Thank you for honoring your mom and for helping with the research of this terrible disease. I have Wegener’s and @ 50 years old depend on my mom to help me on my bad days. She has been a rock through the past 2 years and I appreciate her so very much. She and my dad have both had to help through all of this and knowing how hard it is on them to see their child suffer, they never give up, they just support that much more.

just donated I have sadly no memmorys of my own mum she died when I was just 6, how ever through your blog I have learnt so much and copy so many of your ideas that i had to give. Your mum sounds like she was amazing x

Hi Anna, I’m so sorry about the loss of your mum, and can only imagine how hard this has been for you. I’ll head over to the trust to make a contribution. Your blog is wonderful, and I’m sure your mom is very proud of you. xo

Anna, I love how you are using your grief productiviely! To help fuel a fundraiser. I pray that God will give you peace and a gratefulness both of your memories of your mom and of your moments with your girls.

Go Anna! Well done for organising what will be a wonderful tribute to your mum. She would be so proud of you! It must be hard for you to watch the girls growing, seeing all that your mum’s missing out on, and knowing that she would have loved it 🙁

My mum was/is a wonderful lady. She’s selfless and always looking for ways to help others and be an encouragement to them. I love her. X

Thank youThank your mumI’m a 50 something dad, a sometime playworker, and recently declared an orphan! Dad died last Sept, and tho Mum died 5yrs ago, it is only now that I can begin to truly appreciate the people they were.So, if this post raises £1 for your mum’s memory, it has also raised £50 for the Samritans ( Mum was one), and £50 for Alzheimers research (dad had it)I send you a hug.Mark

My mom taught me that just because you may make bad choices, doesn’t make you a bad person. She has always been loving and excepting of me no matter what. And her door is always open to me, no matter what. I love my mom.

I am sorry for your loss- this was a beautiful tribute. I am reminded of this quote as your mother lives on in your memory, spirit, and personality–as you continue to make a difference in the future of others on her behalf; “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” – Neil Postman

I can’t imagine what life would be like with out my mum around Anna – your post was so moving and a beautiful tribute to your wonderful mum. She sounds like such a strong and loving woman and wouldn’t it be wonderful if somewhere, somehow, she could feel all the loving energy of these comments.

Thankyou for sharing and honouring your Mum with us. My Mum has always been very clear about her unconditional love for us and I always feel supported and comforted by this. I use this with all the relationships I build with children through my work and also all my loved ones (young and old). I know no matter what mistakes I make or what trouble I might get into – Mum will always love and support me and be there for me and I am grateful for this.

I think you are brilliant to be fundraising so soon after you lost your mum. My own mum died of cancer three years ago (still feels like yesterday) and I’ve not been able to bring myself to yet.

Your mum sounds like a wonderful woman, and I’m sure you miss her terribly every day. My mum was really ill for a long time too – and seeing how she loved her grandchildren and rallied when she saw them was always SO moving. Her not being around any more is really part of my motivation for writing my blog. She was always keen to know what the children were making, playing and saying – I guess I’m just keeping her posted.

Have fun on your run! And I’ll pop over and sponsor you right now.Julia x

My Mum is one of the least selfish people I know..she always puts others first and will go out of her way to help. She is so hospitable and makes people feel welcome and at home in her house. She is a strong Christian and has been a great witness to me and so many others. She gave me a very happy childhood and is now a great friend. I have been so blessed, I just hope that I can learn to become less self centred and teach my girls the importance of looking after other people.

Just recently found your blog but I think it is absolutely wonderful. So sorry to hear about your mother, but sounds like you are making sure her legacy lives on. Best wishes on the 5k, I’ll make sure to donate!

I love my mum to bits and can’t even begin to imagin my life without her in it.She is so wise and always has the best advice when it comes to raising my children. She taught me to follow my instincts.Anna it seems like you are doing an amazing job with your children and by honouring your mother in this way you are teaching them the value of family. All the best with your fund raising.

My mom was only with me for the first 13 years of my life, but in those few short years, I received more love, knowledge, devotion, memories and comfort than many people get when their mothers are alive 4 times as long. She was my best friend, confidant and the woman I wanted to grow up to be. I think it’s wonderful what you are doing in your mum’s memory.

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Hello and welcome! I'm Anna, Mama of 4, early years teacher and play enthusiast from the UK! Click here to read more about me.